Cuts Scrapes and Abscesses

Cuts, Scrapes
and Abscesses

I hope you never have an abscess like the one I had on my left leg 30 years ago in the rain forest of Panama. In the jungle, minor cuts seem to turn into major infections almost overnight. This one started out as a little nick above my left ankle. Almost before you could say "suppurating"--the medical term for the oozing pus produced by infected wounds--my abscess turned into a perfect example of what Hollywood movies about the tropics used to call jungle rot.

My lower leg was a painful mess, with an angry, spreading wound dripping disgusting green pus, the viscous debris of my immune system's fight against the bacteria that had taken up residence in my calf.

In the sleepy little province of Darien near the Colombian border, where my cut turned into an abscess, my Panamanian friends shook their heads knowingly. They said my infection had been caused by too close an encounter with tropical dumbcane (Dieffenbachia seguine), which is the same as the familiar palmlike Dieffenbachia houseplant. My friends assumed that some of the caustic resin from cut stems of dumbcane had entered a minor cut. That sounded possible, especially since I tended to go barefoot on the slippery slopes of the rivers, trying not to embarrass myself by falling down. But I'll never know for sure. All I knew was that as the ulcer grew larger, I became feverish--and scared.

I put on a brave face, but skin infections in the tropics can quickly become serious. Three decades ago, I was not quite as confident of the Green Pharmacy as I am today. I figured I should see an American physician at a hospital in the Canal Zone.

The doctor confirmed my worst fears. After one look at my abscess, he said that if I didn't get intravenous antibiotics immediately, I might lose my leg. He gave me some antibiotics, but even that was not enough, in his view. If I wanted to save the leg, he said, I should return to the United States for continued treatment.

To further complicate my decision, that was just the time when the American military offered me a king's ransom to return to the rain forest as a botanical consultant. What to do? I wanted that job more than anything. But I also wanted to keep my leg.

Trusting Bush Medicine

I called my friend Narciso "Chicho" Bristan, an African-Panamanian who had accompanied me on several jungle trips. He, too, would enjoy a financial windfall by joining the new expedition into the bush.

Chicho took me hobbling to see his sister, Carmen, a Darien nurse with an extensive knowledge of bush medicine. She had seen ulcers like mine before. Yes, I needed immediate treatment, but no, I didn't need to be hospitalized or receive intravenous antibiotics.

Carmen said I could treat my abscess with "flowers," but not the botanical kind. She meant flowers (purified powder) of sulfur. She recommended flushing out my interconnected sores with hydrogen peroxide, a good disinfectant, drying them in the sun and finally sprinkling on flowers of sulfur.

I decided to take a chance on bush medicine. Soon after that visit, I limped back into the jungle, still leaning on Chicho. But I didn't have to lean on him for long. Carmen's program and her flowers of sulfur quickly healed that angry abscess. Within a month, all I had left was a scar that I bear to this day, testimony to my first leg-threatening encounter with jungle rot.

Today, Chicho is the watchman in Darien's Cerro Pirre National Forest, my favorite Central American rain forest preserve. And thanks in part to my experience in treating that abscess with bush medicine, I was able to perform a 30-year stint as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's expert on herbal
medicine.

I've spent 5 of the last 30 years tromping around the tropics looking for medicinal plants. And while I've found quite a few, I've also learned that you don't have to venture off into the Panamanian rain forest to find effective medicinal herbs. Some are much closer to home. Many of our best medicines are right here in our own backyards.

Green Pharmacy for Cuts, Scrapes and Abscesses

Everyone develops skin infections of one kind or another at some point in life. Chances are that yours won't become as serious as mine did, but if a cut becomes more red, tender or painful after a day or two or starts oozing fluid, it means that you have an infection that should be treated by a doctor.

Here are several herbs that can be very effective in treating minor cuts. If you'd like to try them on more serious cuts and abscesses (they do work), please discuss it with your physician before doing so.

Teatree (Melaleuca, various species). Teatree oil was used by Australian aborigines and early settlers to treat abrasions, athlete's foot, bug bites, burns and cuts. Its use as a wound treatment has spread around the world. There's good reason for this, as it contains the powerful antiseptic compound
terpinen-4-ol.

Varro Tyler, Ph.D., dean and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy (natural product pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, recommends teatree oil as a wound treatment.

I have personally used teatree oil as an externally applied antiseptic for abscesses, and I can attest to its value. It is well-proven as an antiseptic against bacteria and fungi. In fact, teatree oil is just as good as any of those nonherbal antiseptics Mother used to use--iodine and mercurochrome.

People who are sensitive to it may find that the pure oil irritates their skin. I suggest diluting it by putting several drops in a couple of tablespoons of any vegetable oil. If you find that the oil irritates your skin, dilute it further or discontinue use. And don't take teatree oil, or any essential oils, internally. They are extremely concentrated, and even small quantities of many of them can be poisonous.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Commission E, the expert committee of German medicinal herb experts that advises the German government, endorses calendula for reducing inflammation and promoting wound healing. It does both.

To make a wash to treat cuts, pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of dry petals and steep for ten minutes. Then soak a clean cloth in the liquid and apply it as a compress on the wound.

Calendula may be even more effective in creams. You can buy commercial skin treatment products containing calendula in many health food stores.

comfrey (Symphytum officinale). This herb contains a compound, allantoin, that helps heal wounds. Its astringent tannic acids may also contribute to wound healing.

comfrey has gotten some bad press recently because it contains chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can damage the liver. Many authorities warn against ingesting it. But there's little if any risk in applying comfrey externally. It's still my first line of defense against sores that are slow to heal. To use it, you can take some fresh leaves and rub them directly on the affected area. You can also find commercial skin-care products containing comfrey in many health food stores.

Echinacea (Echinacea, various species). Echinacea has potent immune-stimulating properties that help the body heal wounds. Commission E approves applying echinacea preparations externally to treat superficial wounds.

I think of this herb as only a mild antiseptic when it's applied externally. If I had an infected cut, I'd take some tincture or drink echinacea tea to strengthen my immune system so my body could heal the infection. (Although echinacea can cause your tongue to tingle or go numb temporarily, this effect is harmless.)

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Like several other yellow-rooted species--barberry, goldthread, Oregon grape and yellowroot--goldenseal contains several antiseptic compounds, notably berberine and hydrastine. I would not hesitate to apply a poultice of crushed goldenseal root if I got cut in the forest and didn't have any other antiseptics handy.

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). Gotu kola contains asiatic acid, a compound that spurs the development of the connective tissue that must form in order for wounds to heal. In clinical trials, external applications of gotu kola extract have proven useful in treating wounds, skin grafts, surgical incisions and even gangrene.

Horsebalm (Monarda punctata). Since I have horsebalm growing in my backyard in Maryland, I simply make a wound-healing tincture by filling a glass with the crushed leaves and covering them with cheap vodka. Cold alcohol seems to capture more of the antiseptic compounds found in this plant than does warm alcohol. I let it steep for a few days. Then the liquid can be applied to cuts as an antiseptic wash.

If you decide to try this herb, feel free to soak bandages in the tincture and lay the wet dressing directly on top of infected wounds. Then cover the wet dressing with a clean, dry bandage. Change the dressing every few hours as it dries. You can also apply tincture-soaked wet dressings to cuts that are not infected to keep them infection-free and help speed their healing.

You can use this same general recipe to make tinctures of the other herbs listed in this chapter.

Aloe (Aloe vera). While I am quick to use aloe for burns, I'm not so sure I want to use it for wounds that are much more than a scrape or scratch. Studies show that it has little benefit in treating deep, incision-type wounds. It has proved useful for treating superficial cuts, however.

Arnica (Arnica montana). This herb, also known as mountain daisy, is useful for treating and disinfecting cuts and other types of wounds, according to Norman G. Bisset, Ph.D., professor of pharmacy at King's College at the University of London and author of the excellent book, Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals.

Commission E agrees, approving external application of arnica flowers as a quick fix for wounds, bruises, dislocations and sprains. Suggested dosage: For a compress, use one to two teaspoons per cup of boiling water. Steep until cool. Soak a clean cloth in it and apply.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum). The dried flower buds of this tropical tree can be found on your spice rack, and oil of clove is a staple in aromatherapy and in dentists' offices. That's because clove oil is rich in eugenol, a chemical that serves double duty as both an antiseptic and a painkiller. You can sprinkle powdered cloves on a cut to keep it from becoming infected.

Garlic (Allium sativum). Once when I had an infected earlobe and no access to a doctor, I applied garlic, taping a cut clove directly over the affected area. It looked a little silly, but the treatment worked. Garlic reduced the infection and accompanying swelling.

Applying garlic to the skin can cause skin irritation in some people, but garlic is one fine antibiotic. If you opt for this treatment and it irritates your skin, however, discontinue use immediately.

Garlic is not the only herbal antibiotic. Its close relatives, onion and chives, are also loaded with antiseptic compounds.

Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). Poultices of marsh mallow have been used for thousands of years to treat wounds. The herb's root contains a soluble fiber (mucilage) that expands into a spongy, soothing gel in water. It's probably worth a try.

Melilot (Melilotus officinalis). Experiments using laboratory animals have shown that this herb accelerates wound healing. The active constituent appears to be the compound coumarin. In Germany, powdered melilot is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a poultice for treating hemorrhoids. It seems reasonable to me to try this poultice to treat minor cuts and wounds.

Honey. While not exactly an herb, honey is made from flowers, and I think this treatment deserves a mention. In many folk medicine traditions around the world, honey is dabbed on wounds because it dries to form a natural bandage.

Actually, medical science has demonstrated that honey does even more. Several studies of surgical wounds show that honey accelerates healing. I've never used it myself, but I've seen Indians in Panama and Peru use it quite successfully.